Not Today
by Sandylee007
Summary: When they both least knew to expect any danger Peter Park takes a bullet for Tony Stark. Is this the day when Tony loses the kid whose heart is too big for his own good?                 ONESHOT


A/N: So… I've wanted to type a fic like this for DAYS now. So, here we are. (chuckles nervously)

DISCLAIMER: OH, if only…! If I DID own anything, certain 'Infinity War' events would've been slightly different…

WARNINGS: Description of blood and injury… Some language… Woah. What a short list, for my fic!

Okay, guys. Here we go. I REALLY, REALLY hope that I managed to do these two justice, and that you'll enjoy the ride!

* * *

 ** _Not Today_**

* * *

It was a beautiful, sunny day. Such when it didn't cross anyone's mind to worry. Especially Peter Parker's, whose excitement was palpable. It was his school's 'experience different jobs' day and he'd get to spend it with Tony Stark.

Tony found the kid's enthusiasm contagious and amusing as they approached the massive doors of the newest Stark headquarters in New York. "So, some basic rules? No web-slinging – today's for Peter Parker, not Spider-Man. And no scientific experiments." The billionaire pursed his lips. "Okay, maybe just one or two. But not the kind that may blow up."

Peter's eyes were as wide as saucers as they took in the gigantic building in front of them. "Yes, Sir." It was fairly obvious that the boy hadn't heard a word. "Oh man, Ned's not gonna believe this…!" Then, like a switch had been flicked, excitement transformed to alarm.

Tony frowned. What just happened? "Peter?"

"Mr. Stark…!"

"Mr. Stark?" The second voice was deeper, far more menacing. "I came to collect my final paycheck in person."

Tony spun around slowly. And wished he hadn't. Just a few steps away stood a man in an expensive suit, with greasy blond hair and gleaming blue eyes. Alan Thompson. He used to work for Tony's security services but had to be fired a couple of days earlier. Officially due to budget cuts, unofficially due to highly unstable behavior. Which was, apparently, the right call because the man was pointing a gun at Tony's face.

Beside him Peter was tense and clearly scared. A kid placed into a horrible situation when he was supposed to be perfectly safe. Determined to keep the boy safe, Tony lifted one hand in a placating manner while the other triggered a silent alarm. "Alan, put the gun away and we can…"

"YOU RUINED MY LIFE!" Alan shrieked. Which caught the attention of several people passing by. Someone screamed. "Why should I give you any more mercy?"

Iron Man was made of steel. Tony wasn't. He had exactly one second to tense up before there was a flurry of motion. Security arrived, tackling Thompson to the pavement. Peter stood in front of him, arms wrapped around him in what was the world's most awkward hug.

The gun… Did it go off? Blood rushed in Tony's ears so loudly that he couldn't tell. After the brief bout of chaos everything happened in slowed motion. Dazed and numb, he watched Thompson getting dragged away, the man's lips moving in what were most definitely curses and insults. His hearing was finally coming back. Someone was calling out to him.

"… rk? Mr. Stark!" Peter's voice was frantic and he didn't think he'd ever seen the kid's eyes quite so wide. "Are you okay?"

Tony was almost certain that he was. At least he wasn't in any pain. Maybe he got lucky for once in his life and gun jammed, or Thompson didn't have the time to shoot at all. "I… think so." After releasing himself from Peter's panicked clutch he began an inspection. Something inside him knotted when he discovered the blood staining the shirt covering his stomach area.

Peter emitted a positively heartbreaking, barely audible "No…!" and whatever little color there'd been on the teenager's face vanished.

Tony swallowed and poked. Only to discover that there was no wound. Just still warm blood. His eyebrows furrowed. What…?

And then it hit him like a ton of bricks.

This time it was Tony's eyes widening when he lifted his gaze, just in time to see Peter blinking sluggishly. The panic on the teenager's face had transformed slightly. "Mr. Stark… What…? I… don't feel…" Peter looked at him, trusting him to have the answers with the innocence of a child. And then the boy understood as well. Blinked once, twice. "Oh…!" With that breathy word Peter's eyes closed and knees buckled.

This time it was Tony grabbing a hold of the kid. The kind of terror he experienced then… He didn't think he'd ever felt such before. "Peter!" They slumped ungracefully to the pavement, the teenager limp weight in Tony's arms. That was when the billionaire felt it, when his hand pressed more tightly against Peter's back. Blood meandered down, over his fingers. In a flash his trembling hand was soaked. _No, no, no, no…!_

Tony's lips opened, great many things wanting to come out. But he couldn't utter a sound. He knew that he should've been rushing Peter inside for some much-needed medical attention. But his body seemed to be paralyzed. All he could do was hold on while the teenager slipped away in his arms.

Fortunately someone else took over. Tony shuddered when several pairs of hands were suddenly prying Peter away from him. Dragging the teenager away. In a more coherent state of mind the billionaire might've realized that they were trying to help. As it was he saw red.

Only a familiar hand on his shoulder and an equally familiar, at the moment quivering voice stopped him from lashing out. "Tony!" Pepper was incredibly pale, seemed almost as terrified as he felt. "They… They're trying to help. Let them help."

Tony wanted to believe that they could. Even with how young, frail and lifeless Peter seemed in their hands. Because the thought of the most innocent person he'd ever met, a child, dying for him was almost enough to crush him.

/ _"When you can do the things that I can, but you don't, and then the bad things happen, they happen because of you."_ /

Blink, and something you care about from the bottom of your heart can turn to ashes.

* * *

They rushed Peter into surgery. And then it was four hours, fifteen minutes and sixteen seconds of no one telling Tony anything. Of not knowing. Of bracing himself for the worst.

Tony wasn't good at holding still on a good day. And this… definitely wasn't a good day. He paced, paced and paced, his thoughts tripping over each other until they tangled.

"What the hell was he thinking?" he hissed, anger a safer emotion than most of the others. His pacing intensified. "Taking a bullet for me… What _the hell_ was that idiot thinking?"

"His spider senses tingled and he wanted you safe." Pepper's voice was soft and sad. The tone should've comforted him more than it did.

Well, Tony wanted Peter safe, too. That was why he tried to avoid the kid after the fiasco that was Civil War. That was why he took away the boy's suit.

Fat lot good, all that was…!

Tony wiped his eyes roughly and tried to ignore the moisture. "What the hell was he thinking?" That seemed to be the only thing he was able to utter.

Pepper sighed heavily and wiped her own eyes. "Tony… That kid would do _anything_ for you."

And that was what Peter had been doing, wasn't it? From the moment they met. Headed to war that could've easily killed him. Gave up the suit because Tony said that the kid didn't deserve it, then almost died under a mountain of debris without it. And now this. Thrice Tony's horrible judgement had almost gotten Peter killed.

Three strikes and you're out.

Well, he'd do anything for Peter, too. He'd tried, time again, and failed. What if he'd never get the chance to tell Peter how much the kid meant to him? What if the kid died not knowing…?

There was a trashcan nearby. Tony kicked it hard, deciding that the item was a good target for his frustrated fury. The sound of it hitting a wall gave him pathetically little satisfaction.

At that exact moment he registered the timid looking young doctor at the room's doorway. He froze, completely and utterly. Pepper rose very slowly. "Well?" He had no idea which one of them said it.

The doctor swallowed and sighed. "The damage… was bad. We lost him a couple of times. But… He's finally stabilizing."

Tony held his breath. Barely dared to believe… "So… He's alive?"

The doctor nodded. "He's alive", she confirmed. "I have no idea how, but… He is."

Tony had no memories of the following ten minutes.

* * *

Eventually Tony gathered himself. Slowly and with effort, but he did. And then he announced in no uncertain terms that he was going to sit beside Peter until the kid would wake up, critical condition be damned.

Pain meds wouldn't work very well on Peter. Same with anesthesia. Soon the kid would wake up confused and in a world of agony. Tony would be damned if he let the boy experience that all alone.

He'd screwed up enough times.

Tony would never, ever forget how Peter looked when he first walked into the room. For several moments he had to remind himself that the kid was alive. The rapid beeping of a heart monitor proved as much. As did the steadily rising and falling chest. Tony shuddered under the onslaught of emotions he should've known to expect.

If this was even close to what having kids felt like sometimes, then he wasn't sure he'd ever want to try.

Peter frowned, shifted and emitted a mew of pain that would've broke any decent person's heart. For a moment the billionaire thought that the boy was waking up. Just a nightmare, apparently.

When he first came in Tony had no idea what he was planning on doing. But at that very moment he moved. Without any hesitation he made his way to the bed and flopped to the chair placed beside it. He was much slower to grab the one of the teenager's hands that didn't have tubes and wires attached. The limb was chillingly cold and limp in his. Tony squeezed harder to make up for the lack of response.

Tony swallowed, unable to get rid of the lump in his throat. "I… have no idea what I've done. To deserve having a kid like you nearby. I… probably don't deserve you. But, since I can't seem to scare you away, whatever I do… Then I guess I'll have to up my game." He looked away in shame. "I've… I've gotta do better, now. Because… I'm not ready to lose you just yet. Not for a long time." _Not ever._ He wasn't sure how to be the hero and mentor Peter seemed to see in him, but from hereon out he'd try a lot harder.

Tony jumped when there was a sudden twitch in the hand he was holding. At first Peter whimpered, the return to the waken world every bit as harrowing as the billionaire had feared. Tony didn't think he'd ever been as happy to see anything as he was to see those eyes flutter halfway open, hazy as they were.

"Pete?" Tony kept him volume down, hard as it was. "You with me?"

Peter focused on him with visible effort. And was instantly scanning for injuries. "'r. Stark?" the boy slurred. "… okay?"

Of course that was the first thing the kid wanted to know… Tony sighed. "I am. Try not to ever scare me like that in the future, though." He shook his head, slowly easing worry threatening to transform to anger. "What were you thinking, taking a bullet for me?"

Peter squirmed and looked away. Clearly feeling uncomfortable in more ways than one. "'an take a 'ullet. Not…" The boy swallowed thickly. "Not 'sing 'nother one."

Tony's eyebrows furrowed. Peter couldn't take losing another what? Then, embarrassingly slowly, it dawned on him. The understanding made warmth spread through the billionaire. The things this kid did to him…! He squeezed Peter's hand softly, for a while too choked up for worse. "Well…" He cleared his throat. "You're important to me, too, Pete. If you had any idea _how important_ you wouldn't have pulled the kind of a stunt you did today. And I…" He clenched his jaw. ( _This is turning into such a chick flick moment…!_ ) "I couldn't take losing you, either. Ever. Are we clear?" _Don't you dare ever put me through something like this again!_

Peter nodded as much as someone in his condition could. Smiling disarmingly despite the agony the boy had to be in. "'K."

"Good. I'm glad we had that sorted. Expect more yelling from me when you're properly conscious." Tony was unable to resist a smile of his own, the day's panic and stress finally flowing away. "Now sleep. I'll be here when you wake up."

Peter's head jerked in what was probably a nod. Then, trusting even if Tony had done nothing to deserve it, closed his eyes. For a few seconds, until one eye opened just a little bit. "'r. Stark?" The boy's speech was barely comprehensible. "'ll be okay."

Those words tugged at some curious place inside Tony. The lump returned to the billionaire's throat. "I know you will be", he agreed softly. "I'll make sure of it."

He wasn't sure if the kid got to hear his words before losing the battle to stay awake. In his sleep Peter curled up towards him, as though trying to get closer. There were no more traces of nightmares.

It came close. Far too close. But Tony hadn't lost Peter. Not today. And he swore to himself that he'd do everything in his power to ensure that _the day_ would never come.

(Staring at the slumbering boy, Tony wondered with curiosity and fondness he hadn't anticipated if what he experienced then was what parenthood felt like at its best and worst.)

* * *

When Pepper called her and told about Peter's injury May Parker was sure that her heart stopped beating for several seconds. She'd already lost Ben. How many times had she already come close to losing Peter as well?

May had no idea how she got to the building containing the boy who'd been trusted into her care. She ran with the speed of sheer despair. She wanted to say oh so many things to Tony. And Peter, too. But when she got to Peter's room and saw her child her speed and all those words froze.

Peter was sleeping with a frown on his face, one hand clutching tightly to Tony's. Hanging on as though to a lifeline. On a chair next to the bed Tony slept as well, snoring softly. Each looking out for the other.

May definitely wasn't Tony's biggest fan. Especially after today. But if the billionaire was the one Peter, who'd lost far too much in his young life, had chosen… Then how was she supposed to fight it? To take him away?

May relaxed marginally as she was finally convinced that Peter would be okay. After drying her eyes and taking several steadying breaths she marched into the room and occupied the second chair there. She settled herself for a wait.

As adorable as Peter and Tony looked at the moment, she swore to herself that they were in for a lot of yelling as soon as they'd wake up.

* * *

End

* * *

A/N: Aaaaw! I just love the father/son bond between those two. (BEAMS) Poor duo, though, when they wake up and face May's wrath…

(Sorry 'bout the 'Infinity War' foreshadowing, btw…) (winces and whimpers)

SOOOO… Was that ANY good, at all? Or trash material? PLEASE, do let me know! I'd LOVE to hear from you.

In any case, thank you SO MUCH for reading! Who knows. Maybe I'll see you again?

Take care?


End file.
